If you suddenly get an email from ‘Amazon‘ suggesting your Prime membership is about to expire be warned. This well-known scam is back and falling for it could leave you seriously out of pocket. Express.co.uk recently spotted this crafty message sitting in our inbox and we’re now urging you to be alert.
The scam starts by telling you that your usual monthly payment has been declined and “Your Prime will be removed” within hours.
That sounds pretty scary and, once the email is opened, a message then reads, “Your subscription has expired! We tried to renew your subscription at the of each billing cycle, but your monthly payment failed. We therefore had time to cancel your subscription.”
This is then followed by some fake account details and a button which asks you to verify your account. If fooled, you’ll be asked to hand over email, phone and bank data which can then be used to steal money from your account.
It’s a worry, especially or more vulnerable Prime users, but like most scams, there are plenty of warning signs that show this email is fake.
Despite it featuring official Prime logos, the message never includes the real name of the account holder – that’s a massive red flag as if it was coming from Amazon the firm would know already know your details.
There are also grammar and spelling mistakes in the email and, on closer inspection, the sender’s address isn’t linked to Amazon.
If you get anything similar arriving in your inbox, delete it without delay and do not click on any links or type in any account details.
Amazon also says if you receive an email or text message with links or attachments that appear suspicious, do not open them.
Don’t make a payment to someone you don’t know or whose identity you can’t verify.
Don’t respond to emails that ask you to provide account information, such as your email address and password combination. Amazon will never ask you for personal information. To learn more, see Identifying Whether an Email is from Amazon.